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Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK vs Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H: Comparison

What is the difference between 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK and 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H?

Start with l2 cache, because it is the widest measured gap between them: 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK 10 MB against 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H 2 MB, 80% in favour of 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK. Add l3 cache to that, 24 MB on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK versus 16 MB on the 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H, and the pattern holds. They differ on microarchitecture too, Tiger Lake H, 11th Gen Intel Core on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK versus Coffee Lake, 9th Gen Intel Core on the 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H. They differ on memory type too, DDR4 on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK versus DDR4, LPDDR3 on the 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H.

Who each one is for

Take the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK for flagship gaming laptops wanting the strongest available Tiger Lake H performance with overclocking headroom. Avoid it for budget-conscious buyers, the non-K 11800H, covered elsewhere on this site, delivers similar core performance for less without the overclocking headroom. Take the 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H for premium gaming and workstation laptops wanting near-i9-9980HK performance without the overclocking premium. It is the wrong buy for enthusiasts specifically wanting mobile overclocking flexibility, the unlocked i9-9980HK offers that.

What 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK and 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H have in common

Everything else lines up. Total cores, performance cores, efficiency cores, total threads and tdp read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing. They match on 5 further specifications as well.

Frequently asked questions

Do the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK and 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H differ on p-core boost clock?

Yes. P-Core Boost Clock reads 5.0 GHz on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK versus 4.8 GHz on the 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H.

Is the Integrated Graphics the same on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK and 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H?

It is. Both are listed at Yes, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.

Specs and benchmarks

  • Brand

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    Intel
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    Intel
  • Product Line

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    Core i9
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    Core i9
  • Form Factor

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    Laptop
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    Laptop
  • Model Number

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    11980HK
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    9880H
  • Codename

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    Tiger Lake
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    Coffee Lake
  • Release Year

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    2021
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    2019
  • TDP

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    45 W
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    45 W
  • iGPU

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 (48 EU)
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
  • Market Segment

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    Laptop
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    Laptop
  • Microarchitecture

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    Tiger Lake H, 11th Gen Intel Core
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    Coffee Lake, 9th Gen Intel Core
  • Socket

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    FCBGA1787
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    FCBGA1440
  • Process Node

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    10 nm
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    14 nm
  • Total Cores

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    8
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    8
  • Performance Cores

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    8
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    8
  • Efficiency Cores

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    0
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    0
  • Total Threads

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    16
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    16
  • SMT Enabled

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    Yes
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    Yes
  • P-Core Base Clock

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    2.6 GHz
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    2.3 GHz
  • P-Core Boost Clock

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    5.0 GHz
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    4.8 GHz
  • L2 Cache

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    10 MBBest
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    2 MB-80%
  • L3 Cache

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    24 MBBest
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    16 MB-33%
  • Memory Type

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    DDR4
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    DDR4, LPDDR3
  • Integrated Graphics

    Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
    Yes
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
    Yes

    Which one should you pick?

    Choose 11980HK if you want the higher L2 cache (10 MB vs 2 MB) and the higher L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).

    Choose 9880H if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.

    More comparisons in Processors (CPUs)